Q & A with Tim Tebow

This is the Day, Tim Tebow

Q&A with The OC Christian Magazine

What inspired you to write your new book, This is the Day?

What inspired me to write This is the Day? It’s the truth that God has a plan for all of us. I wanted to share with people that when they’re going through good times and tough times, that this can still be a day of purpose, this can still be a day of meaning, this can be an amazing day in your life.

So many people that I’ve been around have been “one-dayers”. They say things like, “One day I’m going to do this or that.” “One day I’m going to go on a mission trip.” “One day I’m going to tell my dad I love him.” “One day I’m going to have a life of impact.” “One day I’m going to live with purpose.” But, we just don’t know how many days we’re going to have. That’s why it’s so important to live each day as if it is on purpose. To live each day as if it’s the last day that you have. Yes, that sounds cliché, but what if we did it? What if we did that every day? Imagine the impact it would have, imagine the meaning and the purpose we would have. That’s why I wrote This is the Day.

Why do you think so many people give up on their dreams and let today pass them by?

I think a lot of people give up on their dreams because it’s hard. Because life will knock you down, because it’s disappointing, because it doesn’t always go the way that you want it to go. But in those times, in those moments when you’re feeling that way, we have to go back to the truth. We have to understand what God says about us, who we are, knowing our title as children of God. Knowing He has a plan for our lives. I can continue to fight the good fight because I know who has my back, the God of this universe. This is why you can keep fighting for your dreams, for what God’s put on your heart, and for what you really believe in.

You’ve boldly gone after your passion for baseball. What encouragement would you offer to those who are still sitting on the sideline, wondering if they should go after their dreams or questioning their abilities?

I think one of the worst things in life is regret. I think when we don’t strive, when we don’t push ourselves, when we don’t really risk everything and put all our chips on the table, we regret not doing it. I would rather put all my chips on the table and maybe succeed or maybe fail, than say “I was just a little too scared to go all out, I was just a little too scared to really believe in myself and what God has called me to do and pursue my dreams and my passions.” I would rather fail going all out than regret looking back and saying, “What if? What if I would have tried? What if I would have had the courage?”

In a world filled with so many distractions, how do you stay focused on what’s important in life?

It’s really hard to stay focused on what’s important in life. It’s really easy for the world to tell us what to do or tell us what’s most important, like money, fame and power. But when we’re trusting in who we are and what God created us to do, we can say no to those things. We can say yes to meaning, purpose and significance. We can focus on having a life that really matters. We can have the right perspective in the midst of all of it. It’s really hard, we can get caught up in what we think is important (that’s really not), but that’s why we have to go back to the truth. The truth of what God says about us and his plan for our life. When we believe in that, and we’re willing to back that well, then we can have the right focus and the right beliefs in the midst of those circumstances. The world wants to define us, but we know that it doesn’t get to.

In your book, you share about the moment when you learned about your dad’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Can you explain how his diagnosis has changed your outlook on life?

Knowing that my dad had Parkinson’s made me want to spend every moment with him. I loved my dad beforehand, but knowing that brings to life that much more that I’m not going to have forever on earth to spend with him. I want to make the moments we share together count. I want to call Dad even more and tell him that I love him, that I miss him, and talk about my baseball games and life with him. I think so many times the last people in the world we tell how much they mean to us are the ones who are closest to us. Sometimes we don’t tell our parents, our siblings, or others how much we care about them until it’s too late. I think my dad getting diagnosed with Parkinson’s also helped me be more intentional with spending time with my family. It made me realize just how valuable time with them really is.

What advice do you offer those who struggle with the fear of past failures, or are paralyzed by the “what-if’s” in life?

There are two ways you can “what-if” in life. You can say, “What if I don’t make it? What if I fail? What if it doesn’t work out? What if people make fun of me?” I feel like unfortunately a lot of people view life through that lens instead of flipping the script and saying “What if I do make it? What if I crush it? What if I love it? What if I have so much determination they can’t stop me?” We all have a choice in how to handle our “what-if’s.” I believe that we can tackle life in a positive way, really believing in ourselves and who God made us to be, and pursuing with passion and determination what we want to go after and what God has put on our heart.

Why do you believe that it’s important to commit to growth and change, even when it’s hard? What encouragement would you offer someone who is afraid of the pain?

Pain can be really hard in the moment. But we must also realize that pain is temporary and the growth that comes from it can be very meaningful. For us to grow in character, we have to tear ourselves down. This is how our physical muscles grow. You tear them down to build back more. Sometimes in life, you have to be torn down a little bit and you’ll grow back stronger. The Bible talks about the need to persevere. We must go through obstacles, trials and tribulations, and through these things we can have perseverance in our faith and perseverance in our life. This is how our faith muscles can grow.

How would you coach someone who is a problem finder into becoming a problem solver?

It’s really easy to be a person that always finds the worst in a situation. It’s easy to complain or focus on what’s not working. I always tell whoever works with me to not be a person that finds a lot of problems, but be a person that finds the solutions. Be someone who is always looking for how you can make a situation better. Instead of tearing others down, believe in them instead. Instead of telling someone why they can’t make it, tell them how special they are, how unique they are, how if they’re able to lock in and focus, they can accomplish great things.

Really believing in someone means believing what is best for them, what they can accomplish, what God has in store for them. It’s not about only seeing who they are, flaws and all, but seeing who they can become. I’m so grateful that I had those people in my life. First and foremost, my mom and my dad always believed in me. When I was a kid, they would always sing and pray with me before I went to bed. They would always remind me that God’s got a special plan for me, that I wasn’t an accident, that He saved me in my mother’s womb for a reason. When you hear these things enough, you start to believe it. When you believe it enough, you start to act upon it.

What impact do you hope to make on the people in your life?

I hope after reading This is the Day, people can make the most of their days. That they will tell their loved ones, “I love you.” That they live with open hands and open eyes. That they believe in themselves, pursue their dreams and their passions, and live not on their toes but on their heels, ready and willing to go after life. Sure, in this process, we may mess up or fall on our face. We’re not going to be perfect. But I believe we’re going to get so much more out of life when we tackle it head first instead of striving to be comfortable or just getting by.

I never want to just “get through.” I don’t want to be that person that just survives life. I want to thrive in life. I want to make the most of each day. I want to enjoy it. I want to be thankful for what God has given me and take advantage of those things. That’s a totally different outlook than just sitting on your heels waiting for life to hit you or just pass you by.